Gardeners are being encouraged to ‘go green’ by supporting the national £10 million multi-media recycling campaign and using garden compost made from recycled materials.

Gardening gurus, top sporting personalities and television celebrities such as Chris Beardshaw, Matthew Pinsent and Alistair McGowan are among those who have pledged their support for Recycle Now. Now green-fingered gardeners can help the environment by learning about the benefits of recycling their garden waste into garden compost and at the same time buying products for the garden that contain these recycled materials.

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Buying compost

Did you know that there’s a growing range of blooming good compost available for your garden that’s made from recycled materials?

Many people don’t realise that reduced peat and peat-free garden compost usually contains recycled materials such as bark, coir and composted hedge, tree and grass cuttings - much of which comes from your local parks and gardens, or even from your own home.

And there’s more good news too. Composts containing recycled materials do a first class job in your garden, working just as well as other alternatives.

So when you next need to buy garden compost, remember to look out for ‘reduced peat‘ or ‘peat-free’ labelling on the bags to make sure you’re buying recycled compost. If you’re not sure or need some more advice, just ask a member of staff at the garden centre or retail outlet.

The benefits of buying recycled garden compost:

it’s good news for the environment because it makes use of garden waste that otherwise might get thrown away
it gets blooming good results for your garden;
it won’t cost you the earth, usually being no more expensive than other options.

Chris Beardshaw’s Tips on garden compost

TV gardening celebrity Chris Beardshaw is a keen supporter of recycled compost. It is just as easy to use but may need treating a little differently. Chris offers the following tips:

Always check the instructions on the bag to ensure you get the best results.

2. The main difference is in watering, which generally needs to be ‘a little but often’. Gardeners need to be aware that most peat-free garden compost are naturally darker and denser, and they don’t go paler like peat does when they dry out.

3. As with all compost, drainage is key. Excess water has to be able get out, so ensure there is a drainage hole in your container and cover it with a thin layer of coarse grit or pebbles to stop it getting blocked up.

4. Wet the garden compost thoroughly before using it to give the plants a real treat.

5. Avoid pressing the compost into the containers. This pushes all the air out that the plant roots need to thrive and stops water from percolating through.

6. Don’t fill the containers right to the top, leave about a 2cm gap between the top of the garden compost and the pot. This will make watering easier and more efficient.

7. You may notice that plants sometimes take a little longer to get going, but, don’t worry, once they do they usually last longer and tend to be bushier and a better shape.

8. Finally, when storing garden compost, put it in a dry place so that rainwater can’t get in and deteriorate it or wash away essential nutrients.

What is compost?

Over the years, ’garden compost’ has become a generic term that has lost its real meaning. It tends to be used as a catch-all phrase to describe a whole range of soil improvers and growing/potting media, including those that are 100% or reduced peat. But in reality, true compost is a mixture of a range of biodegradable natural materials, such as grass cuttings and hedge and tree clippings, that have been broken down and recycled naturally into an effective garden soil improver and ingredient for growing media.

Why use garden compost?

Compost is essential for getting great results in the garden:
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it provides a helpful fibrous material for delicate plant roots to grow through and keep a firm hold on the ground
it stores moisture. In good compost the right amount of water is stored for the plant roots while the excess is allowed to drain away.
it stores essential plant nutrients that encourage ideal growth. These nutrients are held on the surface of the particles of the compost and are available to the roots of your plants as soon as water is added.

Do your own garden compost recycling

At the end of the growing season recycle your used compost by emptying out your pots and planters, shredding the plants and compost. Put them in a home composter (if you have one) or on the heap. Next season this can be used as an excellent soil improver.

Recycle your garden waste

Don’t forget to recycle your own grass cuttings, hedge and tree clippings by either putting them in your composter / on your compost heap, or if you don’t have one, use your local council collection service or taking to your nearest recycling centre.

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For further information on recycling

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